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Spotted Green Puffer

Green Spotted Puffer, Spotted Puffer Fish

Family: TetraodontidaeTetraodon nigroviridisPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

The Spotted Green Puffer is a very popular attraction and the most commonly available freshwater puffer fish!

The Spotted Green Puffer Tetraodon nigroviridis is a pretty puffer fish. Although it can get rather large, reaching over 6 1/2 inches (17 cm), its name is a perfect description. It has a beautiful rich green coloration on top with dark spots and a whitish belly. It is commonly called the Green Spotted Puffer, or simply the Spotted Puffer as well.

This Green Spotted Puffer is an adorable fish. The pug-like face with slightly bulging eyes and petite little mouth give it a cute peevish expression. It is very playful, active, and curious making it a joy to watch. It has a great personality as well. It will come to recognize its owner, getting excited when it sees you. It will quickly steal your heart, yet this is not an easy fish to keep as it has very specialized requirements for its care.

As the Green Spotted Puffer matures its needs change, so it is recommended for a more advanced aquarist. A juvenile can be kept in freshwater for a time, but they will quickly need a highly brackish environment to survive. They also have fast growing teeth which are prone to becoming overgrown. They requiring a continuous diet of hard shelled live food often to keep the teeth worn down. Being scaleless, puffer fish are more prone to disease.

This puffer will do well if kept singly as it can be an aggressive fin-nipper. It can be kept with others of its own kind as well as other species, but as with most puffer fish, they are very territorial and need their own space. Be certain that for a community setting you choose large non-aggressive tank mates and a good sized aquarium. Provide plants and rockwork arranged in such a way that they break the line of sight and offer hiding places, but still provide open areas swimming.

The natural habitat of this fish is in fresh to brackish waters. You can see on the distribution map below where it has been discovered. Like most brackish water fish, it can be acclimated to a full saltwater environment. Some hobbyists believe this is the best environment for it as it matures.

It is important that you distinguish which pufferfish you are purchasing as their water requirements vary considerably. The Spotted Green Puffer Tetraodon nigroviridis is often confused with its close relatives the Green Puffer or Ceylon Puffer Tetraodon fluviatilis, as well as the Freshwater Spotted Puffer Tetraodon schoutedeni.

All three are spotted and have very similar coloration, but the Spotted Green Puffer has a more rounded ball shaped body while the Green Puffer T. fluviatilis has a more elongated body. These two are readily available in the industry, while the Freshwater Spotted Puffer T. schoutedeni reportedly hasn't been available in the industry for a number of years.

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Habitat: Distribution / Background

The Spotted Green Puffer Tetraodon nigroviridis was described by Marion de Procé in 1822. They are are found from Africa to Asia, ranging from Sri Lanka to Indonesia and north to China. Other common names they are know by include Green Spotted Puffer, Spotted Puffer, Spotted Green Pufferfish, and Green Spotted Pufferfish.

These puffer fish inhabit freshwater to brackish coastal estuaries; streams, rivers, and flood plains where they are found singly or in small groups. They feed on mollusks, crustaceans, and other invertebrates, as well as some plant matter. They may also eat scales and fins of other fish.

• Scientific Name: Tetraodon nigroviridis
• Social Grouping: Groups - In the wild, the Green Spotted Puffer Fish are found singly or in small group.
• IUCN Red List: NE - Not Evaluated or not listed

Description

The Spotted Green Puffer has a stout rounded body shape with small spines. The face is very cute, having a smallish mouth topped by slightly bulging eyes and a broad forehead . Like many of the pufferfish, the coloring of the Spotted Green Puffer can vary. The adult is a beautiful rich green on top with dark spots and a whitish belly. In juveniles the green is less colorful. They can reach 6.7 inches (17 cm) in length.

Despite pet stores selling them as freshwater fish, these fish live in Brackish water in their natural habitats. In nature they do spend some time in fresh water during the rainy season as they will go in to rain flooded areas as juveniles. As juveniles they can tolerate swimming through areas of freshwater, brackish water to saltwater.

Pufferfish have the ability to 'puff' themselves up with water or air if threatened. When they inflate, their spines protrude outward and this apparently helps keep them from being eaten. Another defense of many puffer species is to produce toxic substances in their flesh that is poisonous if eaten.

• Maximum Size: 6.7 inches (17.02 cm)
• Lifespan: 15 years - Normally will only obtain this age in brackish or marine tanks.

Fish Keeping Difficulty

These fish are not for everyone. The Green Spotted puffers needs change to their environment as they mature. The juvenile are fairly easy as they are fine in freshwater. As they mature the need for brackish water or marine conditions become necessary. This takes more work and experience to maintain proper salinity. They are scaleless so are prone to more diseases. A fish keeper with Marine fish experience will be able to take care of them most easily.

The Spotted Green Puffer needs more space the most "community" type fish. They require 30 gallons per puffer, and also require bigger filters and more frequent water changes because they are such messy eaters. These puffer fish also have a fast growing teeth that will at one time or another need to be physically clipped. Even with the proper diet in an aquarium setting it is inevitable that you will need to clip their teeth. If you are up for the challenge these guys will make for an exciting and attractive addition to your tank.

• Aquarium Hardiness: Moderately hardy
• Aquarist Experience Level: Advanced

Foods and Feeding

The Spotted Green Puffers are omnivores. omnivores, though a large part of their diet is meaty foods. In their natural environment they will eat various invertebrates, crustaceans and mollusks, but they also eat some vegetation.They are not difficult to feed as they will usually eat a variety of flake, frozen, and live foods including shrimp, ghost shrimp (gut-loaded), bloodworms, freeze-dried krill, crabs, brine shrimp, and snails. Adult puffers can also be feed scallops, shelled-shrimp, whole mussels, clams, oyster, crayfish and crab legs.

Puffers have strong teeth that grow throughout their lives, so are prone to overgrown teeth. Offer hard shelled live food often to keep the teeth worn down. Feeding snails daily will help to wear down the teeth. If the teeth get too long, they will be unable to eat, requiring the owner to clip the teeth.

Take caution when feeding your Spotted Green Puffer, these puffers will literally eat them selves to death. Because these fish are predators, they spend most of their time hunting. In a tank they try to eat then same amount without burning off the calories of hunting.

• Diet Type: Omnivore - In the wild they feed on mollusks, crustaceans, other invertebrates and some plant matter. They may also eat scales and fins of other fish.
• Flake Food: Occasionally
• Tablet Pellet: Occasionally
• Live foods (fishes, shrimps, worms): Some of Diet
• Vegetable Food: Some of Diet
• Meaty Food: Most of Diet
• Feeding Frequency: Several feedings per day - These puffer fish are constant hunters. Feed small amounts that they can quickly consume, but don't overfeed as these puffers will literally eat them selves to death.

Aquarium Care

Like all puffers the Green spotted puffer is very sensitive to water condition changes. These puffers are often sold as freshwater fish, which they will tolerate only as juveniles. As they mature they really need to be in more of a brackish or marine environment. Like all puffers, they need to be introduced to an established tank.

What ever type of water the puffer is in at purchase, make sure you slowly and properly introduce it to its new environment, normally doing a drip method. If you are starting it in freshwater, try moving it to brackish water before moving it to a marine tank. A generous weekly water change of 30% to 50% is the standard recommendation for a puffer aquarium.

Because of the type of foods and the manner at which they eat, this puffer tends to be very messy and produces a lot of waste. Because of this a large canister filter that turns the tank over at least 6-10 times per hour is needed.

• Water Changes: Weekly - Water change should be 30-50% weekly.

Aquarium Setup

A 20 gallon aquarium will work well for this puffer, however if you want to keep more than one or some other species with them, a well planted 50 - 60 gallon aquarium is better. Provide plenty of plants and rockwork for retreats as well as open areas for swimming. These puffers are amazing jumpers and require a totally enclosed lid. As juveniles in nature, during the rainy season these puffers will jump from puddle to puddle searching for food and to return to the rivers

The Green Spotted puffer can be a bit difficult to maintain because as they mature, their water condition requirements change. As a juvenile they can tolerate a fresh water environment. As they mature, they require a brackish to a marine environment to thrive in. Juvenile Tetraodon nigroviridis do best with salinity levels at 1.005-1.008 and adults at 1.018-1.022 to insure health and maximized life. Use a marine salt formula. A hydrometer should also be used to monitor the level of salt.

As with all puffers Golden Puffer is extremely sensitive to nitrates and ammonia. They require an alkaline based pH of around 8. To do this without chemical add aragonite or crushed coral to your sand substrate. They have very messy eating habits, therefore, the tank needs large canister filters that turn the tank over 6-10 times per hour. Rotating powerheads are needed to simulate the currents of the rivers they come from. With the right conditions these puffers have be known to live up to 15 years.

If you plan on adding more of these puffers. As with most, they are very territorial and need their own space. It is always good to add a lot of caves, plants with twisted roots, rocks and other decor to break the puffer's line of sight to calm aggression and give territorial boundaries.

• Minimum Tank Size: 20 gal (76 L) - If you want to keep more than one or some other species as well, then a well planted 50 - 60 gallon aquarium is better.
• Suitable for Nano Tank: Yes - A Nano tank is fine as long as it meets the size requirements and has proper filtration.
• Substrate Type: Sand/Gravel Mix - Mix with aragonite or crushed coral to maintain pH at about 8.
• Lighting Needs: Moderate - normal lighting
• Temperature: 74.0 - 82.0° F (23.3 - 27.8° C)
• Range ph: 7.5-8.5
• Hardness Range: 9 - 19 dGH
• Brackish: Yes - Juvenile do best with salinity levels at 1.005-1.008 and adults at 1.018-1.022 to insure good health and maximized life.
• Water Movement: Moderate
• Water Region: Middle - They will swim in both the middle and lower regions of the aquarium.

Social Behaviors

Like all the pufferfish, the Green Spotted Puffer can vary greatly in temperament from one individual to another. They are generally regarded as aggressive fin-nippers and often kept singly. However they can be kept in a community setting with others of their own species as well as other large non-aggressive species. In a community setting, be sure there is plenty of room and that the aquarium is well planted. It can also have a variety of other decor such as rocks and roots. Place the decor in a manner that breaks their line of site and provides plenty of retreats for all the fish.

If you do try to put a juvenile puffer into you community tank, do not be fooled by its shy and timid behavior. These little guys have a viscous streak in them. It will only be a matter of time before their natural instinct kicks in and you start seeing fish disappearing. Some people have had luck with larger semi-aggressive tank mates but there is no guarantee. Never try to introduce long-finned slow swimming fish as they will be instant targets for your puffer. The Green Spotted Puffer is not considered a shoaling fish but are usually tolerant of their own species. So a mono-species tank is usually best.

• Venomous: Yes - Puffer fish harbor toxic substances in their flesh, and the Golden Puffer may be venomous if it is consumed.
• Temperament: Aggressive
• Same species - conspecifics: Yes - Needs a tank big enough for each to have their own territory as well as plenty of plants and other decor to break their line of sight.
• Peaceful fish (): Threat
• Semi-Aggressive (): Monitor
• Aggressive (): Monitor
• Large Semi-Aggressive (): Monitor
• Shrimps, Crabs, Snails: Threat - is aggressive
• Plants: Safe

Sex: Sexual differences

Sexual differences are unknown.

Breeding / Reproduction

The Spotted Green Puffer fish Has not been bred commercially in captivity, but possibly bred successfully by hobbyists. Research indicates that the female will lay approximately 200 eggs on a smooth, protected surface. They are also known to guard the nest, notably the male.

If you are lucky enough to have purchased a male and a female, captive breeding will be likely to take place. The mortality rate for these fry are extremely high, so without a great deal of experience most of the fry will be lost. The female will find a smooth surface, normally a tight well protect area to lay her clear eggs. The male will protect the eggs until they hatch. It will take around a week before you see the eggs begin to hatch. At the first sign of hatching start feeding the fry young brine shrimp and microworms. As they grow they will start eating small snails.

• Ease of Breeding: Difficult

Fish Diseases

The Green Spotted Puffer does not have gill covers or scales which make it more prone to disease. Puffers are normally the first fish in a tank to show signs of ick and will twitch and rub around the tank. They respond well to most medication and normally heal quickly. NEVER use copper in a Puffer tank.

Another common issue, though not a disease; Puffer's teeth grow very fast and if not wore down or clipped will lead to overgrowth and starvation. In an aquarium; even when feeding snails and other shelled foods, there is still normally a chance you will have to trim their teeth. This sound much worse then it is. To accomplish this carefully place puffer in a container of water without exposing them to the air. Add 3 drops of clove oil per liter of water; this will temporarily sedate the puffer so you can hold the puffer in your hand more easily. You will need cuticle clippers; use these to clip bottom and top teeth. Once done put puffer in a container or net that will have the current flowing over them. Once awake release back into tank.

Because the Green Spotted Puffer is wild caught it could carry internal parasites. So if it hasn't been done, a de-worming would be smart. For more information about freshwater fish diseases and illnesses, see Aquarium Fish Diseases and Treatments.

Availability

The Spotted Green Puffer, also called the Green Spotted or Spotted Puffer Fish, are commonly available from pet stores and online, and are moderately priced.

References

• Animal-World References: Freshwater Fish and Plants
• Glen S. Axelrod, Brian M. Scott, Neal Pronek, Encyclopedia Of Exotic Tropical Fishes For Freshwater Aquariums, TFH Publications, 2005
• Fish Base - http://www.fishbase.net/

Author: Clarice Brough CFS, Jeremy Roche

• Tetraodon nigroviridis : $9.99

Green Spotted Puffer Tetraodon Nigroviridis Small Offered By: That Pet Place Price: $9.99

Lastest Comments on Spotted Green Puffer View all 207 comments on Spotted Green Puffer Add Your Comment

shannon - 2012-05-16 We have a gsp. It's the size from the tip of your pinky to the first bend, when should we move him to a bigger tank? We have tiger barbs, tetras, pitcus catfish and 3 mollies in the tank with him? We just got him on Saturday so we are still learning what to do, we will be getting another 10 gallon tank for him to go all salt water with in the next two-three months if possible. Any help with this will be greatly apperciated. Thanks in advance. Reply

fernando - 2012-05-15 I bought 2 gsp from walmart and i have two clown knifes in a 75 gallon tank. Will i be able to put the puffers in the big tank with the clowns? i know the clowns are pretty aggressive Jeremy Roche - 2012-05-15 It depends how big your clowns are. Puffers are pretty tough little guys. Sometimes you have to worry about them injuring the larger fish. Should be fine in a large tank. Reply

Editor's Note - 2012-03-17 I have 2 GPS I got for Valentines last year. They are doing great and have grown quite a bit. We have them in a 46 gallon brackish water set up. When is a good time to start moving them over to full salt water? The larger of the two is about 3 1/2 inches long or more. Jeremy Roche - 2012-03-18 You can do it now if you have a cycled tank. Make sure you use a slow drip system to get the puffer use to the new water before placing it into the tank. misty buchannan - 2012-05-09 My puffer fish looks like she going to die but it was playing with the other fish that I got in the tank. It goes and stays in one side. I don't know if I need a bigger tank or if it's old. I got it at a place in Waysville. I got last weekend. Reply

Suzieq53103 - 2012-05-04 I just bought 2 SGP, I have a 55 gallon that have cichlids in it. When I put them in the cichlids went after them which I thought might happen so I have them both in a 10 gallon now. My question is when they get bigger and can defend themselves can I put them back in with the cichlids and if so how big should they be. My cichlids are about 3 inches. And will the salt bother the cichlids? Any info would be helpful! Jeremy Roche - 2012-05-05 Once they get to the same size you may be ok. I wouldn't put them back. If the puffer fights back you may have some dead cichlids on your hands. A liitle salt is fine for most cichlids. Suzieq53103 - 2012-05-05 Thanks Jeremy. I am worried about them outgrowing the 10 gallon, do you have any idea how big they can be before I need to get a bigger tank for them? They are only about an inch now. Jeremy Roche - 2012-05-05 Sounds like you may have too many fish in there now. Time to upgrade. Find a used 55 Gallon tank also help end the fighting. These fish need their own space. Reply

cali - 2011-12-25 I was going to get two green spotted puffers in a 3 gallon tank and I was wonderin if I should get them or would they fight to much when they start getting bigger!!! Charlie Roche - 2011-12-25 You would need at least a 20 gallon tank for one of these fellas. It is strongly recommended that at least a 50 gallon tank for two. In a 3 gallon stunting or possibly death can/will occur. But yes, you can keep two together. Read the full Animal World article that is at the top of this page. Jay - 2012-01-26 A 3 gallon tank is good for 1 betta, or 2 small fish like tetras (it won't be 3 gallon after you add decorations, substrate, heater, etc. Scott Emberly - 2012-02-06 They will die. They need at least 20 gallons each plus more room if there are any more fish with them Carla King - 2012-04-17 I am so angry with the person in the fish dept at Walmart! I bought my son a 1 gallon starter tank, and 1 green spotted puffer with the recommendation from the person. Now after reading everything about the puffer I either need to take back the fish or get a much larger aquarium. Sigh. My son already named this cute little guy too. If he is going to be too high maintenance I don't know about keeping him. With one will it really be a big hassle? Do I really need a 20 gallon for just one? Can he survive well in a 10 gal or 15 gal? Jeremy Roche - 2012-04-18 Carla. I would suggest re-homing the little guy or return it. These guys are a bit of work and not really for beginners. Unfortunately there isnt much that can survive in a 1 gallon tank. Reply

Lil Bit and SE - 2010-08-09 I have been going through some stuff with these little puffers and am wondering what I am doing wrong. I feed it meal worms shrimp as well as snails. I started out with one I called Ribbi. She was a playful little thing. I got her at wal mart. I didn't know much about the fish so I kept her in a tank that was WAY too small in which the wal mart guy said was alright. I had to change her water everyday to every other day. It was crazy but she hung in there with me through it all. After doing just a little research on line I went out and bought a ten gal tank fungus clear and parasite clear. Thankfully I already had the salt. I don't know however how much salt to add to a ten gal tank. Sadly the fungus clear or something killed my little Ribbet after her and I went through hell together. She was fine until I put her in that green water, which may I say wasn't green until I added the fungus clear. I now have bought another fish and would like someone to reply or comment and let me know. I have a ten gal tank with a water filter. How much salt do I need to add and do I need to put any fungus clear in there in which I swear I believe killed Little Ms. Ribbit. Oh and what does murky water even mean. I have put in there seeds to grow my own plants I have a little bit of stuff in there for the fish to play with and do plan on buying more. Its was a long journey and huge learning experience with Ribbit, in which I loved very much but I hope to do this right this time any pointers. Please help... And to that wal mart guy I'm with you man I thought about that before I even found this page. I agree wal mart should not sell these fish. They're horrible about it. Again Please help.. Aaron - 2010-08-29 I'm not sure about the other stuff but I heard you add a table spoon of salt for every 5 gallons. Tyler Swaggerty - 2010-09-07 Hey I'm sorry to hear about Ribbi, i have two green spotted puffers Tough and Puff. I work at walmart and agree with you 100%. I got lucky with my two but after that I went back and what I saw was bad, there were at least 10 in one 5 gallon tank they are all sick and the filtration system doesn't work in half of the tanks. hermione - 2010-09-13 You need to put two tablespoons in for a ten gallon tank, one for a five gallon tank I hope that helps you out. And I'm sorry to hear about little ms. ribbit. Experienced Fish Owner - 2011-09-04 First of all, I'm sorry to hear about your fish. The one problem is... Wal-mart (no offense wal-mart people ) But, really. All their fish are sick there. 1 time, before I had a saltwater tank, I bought an angle fish late at night, came home put it in a big enough tank, I woke up and it was dead. My Wal-mart stopped selling fish, After they realized how cruel and bad fish owners they are. (No offense wal-mart people) Anyway, you don't have to put fungus clear in there. That's my opinion anyway. Levaron - 2011-09-09 I have also started w/ walmart puffers, most of the puffers already have severe fin and tail damage when you buy them. They are not captive bred so the shock from being removed from the wild even as tiny babies and thrown into a tank and then removed and shipped off STRESSES them out. Most people notice fungus appearing very shortly after adding them to thier tank. The majority of time it is the injuries they sustained getting infected. Your best and healthiest bet is to NOT use chemical med or h2o treatment stay with the salt. The salt is also good to use in tropical tanks, stress reliever and help the healing process, they will also rapidly grow fins back. The brand of salt I use it "Jungle" for water quality Aquarium salt. Instructions say add 1 LEVEL tablespoon per 10 us gal. I also feed him flakes in the am, brine shimp in the afternoon and frozen blood worms in the evening. Do not ever put a frozen cube in your tank hungry fish can get frost bite. So I put the frozens in a small dish w/ h2o to thaw them first. I hope this helped you, don't give up a puffer is well worth the efforts. 80) Alex Mikell - 2011-09-28 I hve two gsps.(green spotted puffers) and the thing about these puffers are you can't use aqaurium salt as it doesn't have the right nutrients they need. You need instant ocean mix. It's actual sea salt you can mix with water. It helps your puffer heal and makes them more happy but you have to acclimate them slowly. They need at least 30 gallons all to themselves but you can have more than one puffer in the same tank but you must make sure that they don't pick on each other. Some cases they do but most the time they get along great and they are very sensitive to water and water changes. You have to make sure you have them in a controlled tempature or they will stress and turn all black and go into water shock. All puffers are very intelligent and have their own personality and some of them like a certain color that calms them when there scared or sick. As for the fungus clear you could use it but you can't have your puffer in the water they need clear perfect water at all times or you take a risk of your puffer dying or getting their selves sick and stressed which leads to bad things. I hope this helps you......... jordan king - 2011-10-04 Hello There, I’m sorry about your little GSP but unfortunately I don’t know much about buying form Wal-Mart, but I have heard so pretty grim stories about that place. In the UK, My pet store is pretty reliable, so buying from there wasn’t a problem. Now I have 5 GSP's and they are all really healthy and loving life. It’s better to buy them as small as you can get them so that when adapting from the stores water to your own then the puffer won’t be too stressed out. if you have done your research , you will know what I’m talking about when I say "The Grey Belly". The puffer fish is one of very few who you can tell is majorly stresses by the colour of its belly. It will start by getting lines round the edges of its spotted back that then will spread over the belly if left untreated. This is commonly causes by ammonia or nitrate/s. this could have been why yours has died... Are you positive you put the right amount of treatment in to your tank? Now, murky water/cloudy water is a commonly used phrase which is exactly what it says on the tin, (cloudy water). Depending on how much you fed your puffer could also contribute to the ammonia in the tank as puffers are very messy eaters and any leftover food will deteriorate over time. What I have done to combat this is add a few bottom feeders in to your tank. Make sure all lights are off as the puffer will at first go for the new fish thinking it is food. These fish are so fun to have because they have the mannerisms of a dog. If you puffer starts lying on the floor for large amounts of time, then you could have another problem. This could be either the water is slowly killing him (Do a 70% water change straight away) or a dietary problem. These fish are mainly carnivores but can sometimes pick at vegetation, so what you can do is make up a meal for them. A trick I uses it to break open a muscle, and remove it. Keep that on the side you will need it. Then cook some peas, move the skin and mush up. Add some cucumber and place in the muscle. Now get some frozen blood worm / Brine shrimp (or muscle) and cut the cube in half. Put one half back. Then place it inside the muscle too. (You might have to get a fairly big muscle to do this but it all depends on how many you have). Your puffer should now eat a nice healthy diet. Now salt! Biggest waste of time! I stressed for hours and hours looking for precise measurements for them. All you need to do is get some tonic salt from your local pet store and put some in every time you do a water change. Like the others have said, about 1 table spoon per 5 gallon is fine. They only will get ill after they have matured. Real plants are a really great thing to have for puffers as they do love to peck at them so expect a few holes in them, i also recommend you get fine grained gravel as when the food settles, and the puffers will search through the gravel if they get hungry. They can’t do that if it large/heavy gravel. These puffers are pack fish and not many people realise this when buying them. In the wild they work as teams in order to catch prey. So it is advised for the social reason to get 2 or more. This may require a bigger tank. I’m sorry I have waffled on but I love these fish and I found it incredibly hard to get the information i needed so I have tried to give you a basic outline of key points you need to know in the long term about these fish, by all means if you have any other questions, I would be happy to answer them. Alex Burleson - 2011-10-04 Dear 'Lil Bit and SE' I am so sorry for your loss. Walmart is not the best place to purchase fish, and other aquatic friends from. Their animals are poorly taken care of by staff not educated to properly care for those animals. While salt is minute to freshwater fish, puffers are generally regarded as brackish water fish meaning they live in water that contains an additional amount of salt that normal. If you are adding salt, be sure it is aquarium salt specified for aquarium use. Add 1 1/2 cups of salt per ten U.S gallons. Continue to do 25% water changes per week. This should improve water quality, and health of your fish. Elaina Russell - 2011-10-18 You need to buy a hydrometer. this measures the salinity in the water. Use sea salt not just aquarium salt. Most pet stores carry both. I use 'Red Sea' salt. Not using the 1st item and not knowing about the second not (the sea salt) was the reason I lost my 1st Puffer. Swim and learn! Good luck! jimmy - 2011-12-26 ok I see alot of people saying to use like a tbl spoon of salt per 5 gallons of water, I assume they are talking about aquarium salt. That won't work. What's worse is most of these people seem to know what they are talking about they don't. As for salt I use instant ocean about half a cup per gallon. Scott Emberly - 2012-02-06 Way to small for puffers do research before buy in pets your only making them suffer bearcat223 - 2012-02-08 I have only had my puffer for 2 weeks then it got ich. I tried to cure him with Ich Guard like the guy at Walmart said to do after 2 treatments my puffer died. I should have read the back. gsp fish dont have scales which means they can get chemical burns pretty easy so you want to make sure to use something safe for scaless fish like ich gaurd 2 Reply

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